The four Wests juniors helping to drive the Tigers revival

The four Wests juniors helping to drive the Tigers revival
August 12, 20165:53pm
CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI The Daily Telegraph

THE Campbelltown crew are bred tougher than the Balmain boys.

That’s according to a quartet of Western Suburbs Magpies juniors who will line up for the merger NRL club this afternoon at Campbelltown Sports Stadium against the Gold Coast.

James Tedesco, Chris Lawrence, Sauaso Sue and David Nofoaluma will appreciate the packed ground a little bit more than any other Wests Tigers player.

“There are so many memories being Campbelltown juniors,” Lawrence said. “We’ve played all our grand finals at this ground, a lot of school games for St Gregs were here, so there’s nothing like being in front of a packed crowd.’’

Nofoaluma was fullback and Tedesco winger when they played Harold Matthews and their first year in SG Ball together at Wests.

He said he often walked through a tunnel underneath the stadium and admired a photo of a packed Campbelltown for a 2010 game against the Sydney Roosters.

“I’ve always thought, ‘I wish I could come out to a crowd like that here’. Last year it was kind of dead. Hopefully (today) I get the chance to see it packed,’’ Nofoaluma said.

Sue has almost taken it upon himself to perform the role of Marty Taupau and be the aggressor in the Tigers forward pack. He quipped “the C-Town boys usually bring that aggression’’.

“I bring my own aggression to the game, I’ve been doing the same thing the past four years, but maybe it’s getting noticed a bit more now,’’ Sue said.

Tigers skipper Aaron Woods heckled the Campbelltown quartet as they posed up for The Saturday Telegraph this week. Woods is a Leichhardt boy and forever spruiks the benefits of living in the inner-west of Sydney.

“They’re all good fellas,’’ Woods said of his Magpies mates.

“Chris is a bit of a nerd and always has his head in the books. ‘Nofa’ never knows what is going on, he’s a bit of a space cadet, but he sure can play footy.

“You wouldn’t want to run into Jesse (Sue) in a dark alley, while Teddy wants to be an inner-westie, and wants to hang out with his nonna at the Italian Forum on Norton St.’’

Lawrence joked it was often accepted the Wests players were tougher.

“Look at Woodsy, he has long hair and ties it in a bun. I suppose that speaks for itself,’’ Lawrence quipped.

Superstar Tedesco had plenty of fond memories of his junior days, and was a huge hit when he visited his old club the Camden Rams on Wednesday night.

I like the article. The feedback we hear is that club has no connection to the city and only plays the 4 games. This article shows a part of the connection - hope it adds a few more hundred bums on seats.